Severe Perineal Tear Following Childbirth

  • Outcome: Settlement [$350,000 incl. costs]
  • Court: District Court of New South Wales
  • Defendant: Regional NSW Public Hospital

The plaintiff was a young mother who suffered serious and life-changing injuries during the birth of her second child at a NSW hospital. [$350,000 incl. costs]

In February 2011, the plaintiff was admitted to hospital at approximately 36 weeks’ gestation after her membranes ruptured. During labour she experienced significant pain and reported difficulty during the delivery process. Ultimately, complications occurred at the time of birth and she sustained a third-degree perineal tear, involving injury to the anal sphincter muscles.

This type of injury is one of the most serious forms of obstetric trauma and can have long-term consequences for a woman’s physical health and quality of life.

Ongoing Physical Injuries

Following the delivery, the plaintiff experienced a range of ongoing symptoms associated with the sphincter injury. Medical experts confirmed that she suffered pelvic floor dysfunction, involuntary loss of flatus and ongoing perineal pain, as well as scarring and tenderness within the vaginal tissues.

These symptoms affected her daily life and left her concerned about the possibility of bowel control problems. She was advised that any future pregnancies would likely need to be delivered by caesarean section to reduce the risk of further sphincter injury.

Psychological Impact

The traumatic birth also had a significant psychological impact. Medical specialists diagnosed the plaintiff with an adjustment disorder with anxious mood and somatic symptom disorder, directly linked to the complications she experienced during childbirth.

She reported ongoing anxiety, distress when thinking about the birth and concerns about her future health and family life.

Our Approach

Obstetric injury cases require careful investigation of labour management, delivery techniques and post-birth care.

Our legal team worked with leading obstetric and medical experts to analyse the circumstances of the birth and pursue compensation for the physical, psychological and financial consequences suffered by our client following this traumatic delivery.

  • What our clients say

We measure our success by how clients feel
throughout the process.

“

“We were told by another law firm that we had no claim, but then someone recommended […]

Today, we have settled a claim, and Anthony Porthouse was very professional and very responsive. He made it clear what was happening and what we should do. I would highly recommend […] for any case where you need to be looked after.”

John Turner

Verified Google Review

“

“I would fully recommend […] for several reasons.

My case involved the death of my husband so it has been an extremely difficult time for me. My lawyer (Anthony Porthouse) and his team were extremely compassionate and understanding. They kept me up to date with the progression of the case and explored every avenue regarding getting me the best result. Trust was a very important factor and I trusted their judgement completely.

I was treated with respect and not made to feel as though I was just another case. If you need a very good lawyer then I definitely would consider […] VH”

Val Hart

Verified Google Review

“

“I just wanted to put something in writing to thank […] particularly Anthony Porthouse and Mallika Uppal, for their professionalism, transparency, commitment, integrity, compassion and support throughout my particularly complex case. You made the whole process much less stressful than it could have been and I am so thankful to you for this.

Anthony and Mallika are highly competent and their expertise is second to none. They were always available to me for any questions I had and everything was always explained in plain speak. This reassurance was, to me, and integral part of the process. Overall, they really went above and beyond, and I feel confident that they achieved the best outcome for my case. Now this horrendous journey is over and I can now, thanks to them, begin to move on with my life. I will always be grateful to them and have no hesitation in giving them my highest recommendation. Thank You does not seem enough.
Kim D”

Kim Dunks

Verified Google Review

“

“Anthony & Patricia were wonderful for my case, not only did they do an outstanding job in the courts, it was the extra time and care they put in and my emotions and health was there priority. That to me was priceless while going thru my cancer treatment and my case…”

Walid Abboud

Verified Google Review